July 2010

West Seattle's 10-11 all-star team defended its Little League District 7 championship by beating a game Rainier (Beach) District squad, 14-7. But the score was close, 8-7, entering the westside team's game-changing top of six, where runs galore were scored to finish off the foe at Bar S Fields Thursday.

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE GAME

"It was a great game," said John Page, West Seattle's manager. "We came out here a couple weeks ago with eight returning players from last year's District 7 tournament championship team and they knew how hard it was going to be. And they stayed focused, played well and beat a very good Rainier team."
Indeed.

Both teams played back-and-forth ball the first five innings of completed baseball, with West Seattle ahead by only one run, 8-7, at that late stage in the game. But dig deeper, go just a half inning earlier to the Rainier top of five and it was West Seattle leading, 8-5.

By Bethany Overland

Mealworms and watermelon rinds may not come to mind as preferred Fourth of July picnic fare. But they’re a feast for the Woodland Park Zoo’s newest African dignitaries, a meerkat family of eight.

Hundreds gathered to watch the meerkats gorge themselves July 1 as the zoo kicked off its two-day Red, White and Zoo celebration. The meerkat mob showed off its new digs, and the zoo revealed the critters' brand-new names.

In a community vote sponsored by U.S. Bank and the Seattle Times, more than 2,600 voters decided on the final eight names: Zimba, Nata, Molopo, Kiwano, Kalahari, Dinawa, Acacia and Ngami.

The names remain to be assigned to each meerkat. Anne Nichols, lead keeper for the creatures, said she plans to let the naming process come naturally.

“We’re starting to figure out which names go with each of their individual personalities,” said Nichols. “They really do have personalities—like the alpha female, she’s very assertive. And, there’s another male who is incredibly exploratory. He’s our sentry, the lookout.”

When Gov. Chris Gregoire stepped into the ring with Mayor Mike McGinn June 3 to spar over tunnel costs, the smart money was already on the Gov. Her many previous bouts gave her the advantage, and she slugged away at the new mayor while hardly breaking a sweat.

When she showed up for the fight, she already had the backing of the big money in downtown Seattle. McGinn, in office only half a year, may have underestimated the punch the diminutive governor packed.

McGinn's best shot was his objection to who would pay for cost overruns on the tunnel to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct. The city, already strapped for cash, was at risk because of the clause in legislation that bound Seattle taxpayers for overruns, McGinn said.

Gregoire was all swagger and bluster at the meeting, knowing she had both the backing of the Washington State Legislature and the Seattle City Council and was facing a rookie politician. She told the mayor that if he didn't like the Frank Chopp-inspired clause, to take it up with the legislature.

For 87 years the community of White Center has celebrated Jubilee Days and after a year when the event was cancelled due to "volunteer burnout" it's back and promises to be better than ever. It is a Seafair Sanctioned Community Event. The theme for the ethnically diverse community for 2010 is "Come Together, Embrace Our Differences." During the event you will be able to buy T-shirts and other festival memorabilia . Jubilee Days is a family event, intended to build community pride and unity. It represents an opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other, and interact with community service providers and local businesses.
2010 will mark the 22nd year that White Center has participated in a Seafair sanctioned community event. At this year's Jubilee Days a locally grown Farmers Market will be staged. To start the event with a bang (so to speak) a fireworks display in conjunction with the carnival will take place. You can purchase Carnival Tickets now by contacting a WCJD member.

They are available from:
Full Tilt Ice Cream in White Center 9629 16th Ave S.W. 206-767-4811
Law Office of Gerald F. Robison in Burien 648 South 152nd Street #7 Burien, WA

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."
– Benjamin Franklin

Who can’t do with easier living, less tension and more tolerance?

For wine lovers, there’s hardly a need to leave Ballard anymore to sate your taste for fine wine.

From our two local wineries (Animale and Domanico Cellars) to international labels, “Everything you need is in Ballard,” says winemaker Jason Domanico of Domanico Cellars.

After you’ve had your wine-tasting party at home, go check out tastings with the pros.

Now, many Ballard shops and restaurants have regular wine tastings, where you can learn about wines and what you like (or don’t like). Depending on the number of wines being tasted and whether food is offered with the wines, there is usually a fee for tastings, which varies depending on the number and type of wines and food offered (or not).

Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean, Mayor Mike McGinn and other city representatives met with members of the community July 1 to explain what happened during the apartment fire June 12 in Fremont that took five lives, offer their condolences and answer any questions residents might have.

The fire at 334 N.W. 41st St. started shortly after 10 a.m. when a foam mattress that had been leaning against a lightbulb in a first-floor closet ignited, Dean said.

He said someone in the apartment told Helen Gebregiorgis they smelled smoke. She tried to clear the smoke by opening windows downstairs and upstairs.

While Gebregiorgis was upstairs, she heard an explosion, which could have been an aerosol can or the windows, Dean said.

He said the open upstairs windows combined with a north wind to create a chimney effect, which brought flames and smoke rapidly to the second floor.

"If you've never been in a fire, what you don't appreciate is how fast it can go," Dean said. "Within a two-minute period, it can get to 2,000 degrees."

When firefighters arrived, there was heavy black smoke and flames coming from the first and second floors, he said.

A large crowd gathered Wednesday night, June 30, at the Beveridge Place Pub in the Morgan Junction to attend the campaign kick-off of 34th Legislative District Candidate Mike Heavey. The evening’s remarks focused on efforts to move the State of Washington away from the sales tax and toward a high-earner income tax, initiative reform, and education.

“We cannot continue to ride the boom, bust cycle of the regressive tax system,” Heavey said.

Heavey, pointed out that he has worked in both the private and the public sector, and discussed his support for Initiative 1098, a ballot measure to institute an income tax on high earners.

By Steve Shay

Some simply refer to her as "Team Tracy" because her friends will say she fills the room with positive vibes and good spirit. Tracy Dart, 35, who was born and raised near the Alaska Junction, has been battling breast cancer for two years and her "team," now 21 strong, fundraises and walks the annual 60-mile, three-day Susan G. Koman Race For The Cure. Dart can be spotted in a pink cowboy hat in a booth outside West 5 Lounge raising money, the Feedback Lounge cheering on Rock n' Roll Trivia players, or kicking back at Pioneer Coffee on Alki near her current home. Of course if there is a fundraising walk, and there are more than just the Koman Race, then that's where she may be found.

With negotiations stalled for the past seven months on plans to have Burien/Normandy Park Fire Chief Mike Marrs take over as North Highline chief, the North Highline Board of Fire Commissioners approved July 1 the job description of an interim chief administrator they hope to hire by August 1st.

"We need to have a point person," said Commissioner Wayne Alishokis.
According to Commissioner Ray Austin, the interim chief will oversee day-to-day operations, finance, logistics, training, and staffing.
The chief's most important duty, though, will involve negotiating an administrative contract with Burien's Fire District 2 or another fire district.

Austin noted that the North Highline had begun to construct an agreement with Fire District 2 in which District 2 would provide administrative services for the North Highline district, which has been without a chief administrator since Chief Scott LaVielle stepped down in December of 2009.

However, the discussions ended before a contract had been signed, and the North Highline district has been operating "in limbo" under the leadership of its battalion chiefs.

With negotiations stalled for the past seven months on plans to have Burien/Normandy Park Fire Chief Mike Marrs take over as North Highline chief, the North Highline Board of Fire Commissioners approved July 1 the job description of an interim chief administrator they hope to hire by August 1st.

"We need to have a point person," said Commissioner Wayne Alishokis.
According to Commissioner Ray Austin, the interim chief will oversee day-to-day operations, finance, logistics, training, and staffing.
The chief's most important duty, though, will involve negotiating an administrative contract with Burien's Fire District 2 or another fire district.

Austin noted that the North Highline had begun to construct an agreement with Fire District 2 in which District 2 would provide administrative services for the North Highline district, which has been without a chief administrator since Chief Scott LaVielle stepped down in December of 2009.

However, the discussions ended before a contract had been signed, and the North Highline district has been operating "in limbo" under the leadership of its battalion chiefs.